In Spanish No Va means you’re not going. Contrarily, today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Chevy Nova looks plum-full of get up and go. We’ll decide if its price makes the getting up and going all worth it.
Have you ever heard the joke about the accordion player who’s stops for a meal at a diner on his way home from an accordion convention? He has locked his accordion in the back of his car while goes inside the roadhouse to eat. Upon finishing his meal and returning to his car he discovers his worst fears have been realized as someone has smashed one of the car’s windows and has cruelly placed another accordion inside.
There was no such fear at finding yesterday’s 1984 Honda Accord LX, and in fact that Little Old Lady From Paso Robles’ (or somewhere in the Bay Area) hatchback took home a decent 63-percent Nice Price win for its trouble.
Back on Monday, when we were ruminating on that day’s candidate, a Chevy Citation X-11, a number of commenters averred that driving most old cars just plain sucks. The accusation was that certain parameters like handling, braking, and comfort were of another era, and to drive an old muscle car was a challenge akin to trying to bed a recalcitrant Neanderthal.
I’d like to counter that opinion with this 1972 Chevy Nova Yenko homage. Now, before you start foaming at the mouth, see that this is not an unbelievably rare real Yenko, nor does it have that car’s L-72 427. That doesn’t make it a bad thing, and it does make it a shit-ton cheaper than a real Yenko would be. It does come with a big block, a four-speed and a posi-traction rearend for all your rubber-laying pleasure.
That big block is a 396 and it looks pretty tidy under the car’s hood. The ad notes that the Nova originally was a 307/3-speed car so this is definitely an upgrade. It’s not clear if that upgrade arrived at the same time as the rest of the work but the seller says it sports a restoration old enough to drink.
The Grabber Orange paint seems to be perfectly serviceable, and unless you’re a stickler for authenticity the Yenko stripes and sYc (Yenko Super Car) logos add some appealing visual interest. Five slot mags give the car some vintage charm, and I should also note that the third-generation Nova is a damn-fine looking automobile.
Moving on to the interior you’ll be delighted to find the cheap dater’s best friend: a split-back bench seat. That needs reupholstery as it’s seen a few too many entries and exits, but how hard could that be to have done? The back seat—also a bench, good for double dates—looks okay.
The dash has a new cap and there’s a fat tach down next to the driver’s knee and in front of the T-handle for the four-speed. The horizontal speedo in the instrument cluster is, in my humble bumble opinion, reason enough to buy an old Nova.
The negatives here are the lack of any climate control other than cracking a window. The seller says that the heater has been omitted, but does come with the car. He hypothesizes that a previous owner’s intention was to fit the car with a hot rod HVAC, and that’s still a viable option if a new owner is so inclined. He also claims 100K on the clock and the car comes with a clean and clear title.
All that could could be yours for $14,500 or about where a Kia Rio starts. That Kia will come with a warranty, antilock brakes, airbags up the wazoo, and the ability to keep you cool or warm as needed. This Chevy on the other hand has a 396. I’d say the Chevy wins.
What do you think, could this Yenko look-alike command that $14,500 asking? Or, is that price, like the car, a no-go?
You decide!
Cleveland OH Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to THEWILLNEVERDIE for the hookup!
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